Samsung’s Gear VR headset pictures leaked, coming in September

Samsung’s VR headset now has a name – and a look. Samsung’s VR will be called Gear VR and will feature a see-through button and touchpad.

Samsung’s been rumored to emerge with a VR headset this September. We now have an image of what Samsung’s VR headset will look like.

The company’s making waves with its “Gear” nomenclature, and the VR headset that comes from the Korean manufacturer will be called “Gear VR” (according to the images supplied by Samsung). In the new product photo leaked by tech site SamMobile, we see that the headset consists of a see-through section as well as a touchpad. The touchpad’s significance pertains to the dock in which Gear VR users will be able to place their Galaxy smartphones and connect them to the headset via a USB 3.0 cable: the touchpad allows Gear VR users to scroll through items on the Galaxy smartphone screen by using the navigation buttons.

As for the Gear VR see-through button of the headset, Samsung’s implementation here is nothing short of genius. VR headset users often have to take their headsets off to see what’s happening around them in real time – then place them back on to reimmerse themselves in virtual reality. With the see-through button, Gear VR users won’t have to take their headsets off to see events in real time and put the headset back on to continue on-screen. Rather, they’ll be able to see events in real-time and invest themselves in the on-screen world without conflict.

Early rumors about Samsung’s “Gear Glass” said that the company would unveil a Google Glass competitor that would operate similar to Google’s headset. However, the rumors later turned to a Samsung VR headset when it was discovered that Samsung and Facebook-bought VR company Oculus was producing software for Samsung’s VR headset. In return, Samsung offered its OLED displays to Oculus to aid with the VR company’s hardware preparations. Samsung will unveil its Gear VR headset at the Berlin IFA 2014 Conference in September, alongside of the Galaxy Note 4 YOUM and possibly a new Gear wristwatch. Samsung’s Gear VR will likely be tied to social media, considering Oculus was purchased by Facebook recently for $2 billion.

1 COMMENT

But this isn’t the Glass competitor I don’t think. This is Samsung’s licensing of Oculus software for use on their own 3D VR HMD headset. It’s basically an external display for your smartphone or tablet. Their Glass competitor might not even launch until final release of Wear FIT Android on Google’s own Glass!